Amherst Democrats Demolishing Youth Sports

From Brian D. Rusk, Chair Amherst Republican Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 9th, 2021

Republican - United for Amherst Candidates Condemn Kulpa Town Board Wasting Funds for Destroying Softball Diamonds and Junior Football Game Field

Jay DiPasquale, Republican-United for Amherst candidate for Amherst Supervisor, Dan Rider, PE, Republican-United for Amherst candidate for Amherst Town Board and Ray Herman, Esq., Republican-United for Amherst and Conservative candidate for Amherst Town Board criticized Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa and the all Democrat town board for destroying 4 softball fields, the Williamsville Junior Football Field and the NCAA Regulation Baseball Field. This is all being taken away with the sale of public lands to UB MD for medical offices.

Jay DiPasquale said: "Brian Kulpa is now selling Town of Amherst land worth millions of dollars with 4 softball fields, irrigation and drainage with a concession stand, bathrooms, all paid by Amherst residents for decades as Kulpa and the one-party town board are enriching his developer friends with this land bought by UB MD."

Dan Rider, PE noted: "I have asked our one-party town board to stop wasting money as the Town of Amherst is now selling $6.2 million in bonds to unnecessarily rebuild what was destroyed. There was no reason to sell our public lands and recreation facilities to a private developer."

Ray Herman, Esq. stressed: "In Amherst we are now witnessing 4 softball fields being destroyed as part of a sweetheart deal with developers. Next on the list is the 18-hole Audubon golf course. Our fine centrally located recreational facilities should not be destroyed to accommodate developers. There were numerous other sites UB MD could have purchased instead of town land."

Photo of softball field to be taken away similar to the 4 softball fields already destroyed at the Audubon Recreation Complex on Millersport Highway, Amherst.

Photo of bulldozer at Williamsville Junior Football League Concession Stand with a

baseball mitt, ball and bat where Amherst recreation took place for decades.

NO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN AMHERST

OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY DAN RIDER, PE - CANDIDATE FOR AMHERST, NY TOWN BOARD -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - AUGUST 31, 2021

A Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for the Westwood appraisal was filed and will take 12.5 weeks to answer. What does the Amherst Town Board have to hide? I’m tired of waiting for such a simple request so here is my analysis.

Fox Valley (140 acres) and TanTara (174) Golf Clubs sold in March for $ 700,000 and $ 800,000 respectively. These clubs operate daily and have modern clubhouses. Contrast this to Westwood (170) that your Town Board wants to pay $ 7.7 million for with your taxes. Westwood’s abandoned clubhouse dates to the 20’s or 40’s.

What is the town getting for its $ 7.7 million? The abandoned golf course land and rundown structures is worth maybe $ 700,000 when mentioned comparable sales are considered. The sellers want to recover their $ 2.5 million investment and make a profit and let’s say that totals $ 5 million.

The remaining $ 2 million of your taxes will be used by the sellers to remediate toxic heavy metal (Mercury, Arsenic and Chromium) from the grounds and dangerous building materials from the structures. On top of this the sellers have applied for a NY Brownfield Tax Credit.

I live in Amherst for the quality of life it offers, and not paying for other’s contamination. While trained in soil and rock behavior I have tried to avoid cleanup projects as they are paperwork intensive, slow, wasteful, and unhealthy.

I’m tired of Supervisor Kulpa and the Town Board playing Hide & Seek.

Dan Rider PE

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